e pick the golden russets. Fate had evidently
destined her as Jed's best helper. All summer she had been fairly
goading Mattie into love with Jedediah and now she was moved to add
the last spur.

"Jed Crane's going away, I hear," she said maliciously. "Seems to me
you're bound to be jilted again, Mattie."

Mattie had no answer ready. Selena went on undauntedly.

"You've made a nice fool of yourself all summer, I vow. Throwing
yourself at Jed's head--and he doesn't want you, even with all your
property."

"He does want me," said Mattie calmly. Her lips were very firm and her
cheeks scarlet. "He is not going away. We are to be married about
Christmas, and Jed will take charge of the farm for me."

"Matilda Adams!" said Selena. It was all she was capable of saying.

The rest of the golden russets were picked in a dead silence, Mattie
working with an unusually high colour in her cheeks, while Selena's
thin lips were pressed so closely together as to be little else than a
hair line.

After Selena had gone home, sulking, Mattie picked on with a very
determined face. The die was cast; she could not bear Selena's slurs
and she would not. And she had not told a lie either. Her words were
true; she would make them true. All the Adams determination--and that
was not a little--was roused in her.

"If Jed jilts me, he'll do it to my face, clean and clever," she said
viciously.

When Jed came again he was very solemn. He thought it would be his
last visit, but Mattie felt differently. She had dressed herself with
unusual care and crimped her hair. Her cheeks were scarlet and her
eyes bright. Jed thought she looked younger and prettier than ever.
The thought that this was the last time he would see her for many a
long day to come grew more and more unbearable, yet he firmly
determined he would let no presuming word pass his lips. Mattie had
been so kind to him. It was only honourable of him in return not to
let her throw herself away on a poor failure like himself.

"I suppose this is your last round with the wagon," she said. She had
taken him out into the garden to say it. The garden was out of view
from the Ford place. Propose she must, but she drew the line at
proposing under Selena's eyes.

Jed nodded dully. "Yes, and then I must toddle off and look for
something else to do. You see, I haven't much of a gift so to speak
for business, Mattie, and it takes me so long to get worked into an
understanding of a business